On the run after a horrifying kidnapping ordeal, Beth Rivers goes to Alaska to hide out while her kidnapper is still on the loose. Her new home seems to be sparsely populated, with people who all seem to be hiding from something or someone, so she actually feels pretty safe . . . until someone mentions a local (suspected) murder. With a background of working in her sheriff grandfather's office, and the knack for getting to the heart of a good story, Beth tries to help solve the local mystery. Complicating things is the fact that memories of her kidnapping keep coming back in bits, making her wonder if she can ever reclaim her old life.
The author is well known for her cozy mysteries so here, she takes a darker turn and adds some elements of a thriller to this mystery. I admittedly have not read her other books, but I can see where she might be a writer of other kinds of stories --- there was something about the character development that had a Jessica Fletcher-esque feel to it. I liked this book, although I sometimes got annoyed with Beth. I felt like she didn't give people enough time to get to know them a little before launching into questions about the murder (something which, actually, another character points out to her). At times, she seems vulnerable and at other times, pretty brash. I also wondered about a character who would choose to go to Alaska without really packing clothes for that climate. Good thing she has plenty of money and someone who can help her out once she gets there.
A good read, and the first in a series.
LibraryReads summary: Trying to hide from her kidnapper who is still on the loose, Beth Rivers escapes to Alaska, where she finds herself in the middle of solving a (suspected) murder.
This is something new from cozy mystery writer Shelton, who takes a darker turn in this thriller/mystery.
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